Arsenal Showcase Growing Chemistry by Dispatching Everton in Pre-Season Clash
It's only pre-season, but Arsenal have nabbed their first trophy of 2015/16. The Gunners defeated Everton 3-1 in the final of the Asia Trophy to secure some summer silverware. Winning, it seems, is quite the habit.
Of course, lifting the Asia Trophy is of no real consequence. Although nominally a tournament, the fixtures are undoubtedly friendlies, and the whole competition is really just an excuse to build fitness ahead of the new campaign.
That's not to say there aren't positives for Arsenal to take away from their performance against the Toffees. The main piece of good news is that the developing understanding between their key creative players shows no signs of dissipating. The relationship of Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla continues to blossom beautifully.
Cazorla was majestic in this match, picking up where he left off after a dazzling 2014/15. Against Everton, he was involved in each of Arsenal's goals. First, his lofted through pass found Theo Walcott, who volleyed smartly beyond the advancing Joel Robles.
The Spaniard then added a strike of his own, dancing infield from the right-hand side before firing left-footed into the near post. A large proportion of his goals last season came from the penalty spot, so he'll be keen to ensure he is also able to contribute from open play. Finally, he was the central figure in the neat interplay that allowed Ozil in on goal for an uncharacteristically clinical finish.
What will provide Arsene Wenger with the most encouragement was the combination play between these two potent playmakers. They were also able to link effectively with the likes of Walcott and Aaron Ramsey, posing a constant threat to a beleaguered Everton back line.
Arsenal's style is fundamentally built around a collective telepathy; for the Gunners' co-dependent style to flourish, each individual must have an intimate knowledge of his team-mates' strengths and weaknesses. Fortunately for Wenger, that chemistry continues to grow.
A new addition to the formula is Petr Cech. The former Chelsea man made his first appearance in an Arsenal shirt at the Singapore National Stadium and was roundly cheered every time he touched the ball.
However, this wasn't merely a welcome parade for Cech. He gave a spectacular demonstration of his ability when he leaped backwards to palm a goal-bound header away from danger. In that one moment, the 33-year-old showed that his age has not seen him lose any of his agility. For the most part, he was calmness personified, as you'd expect of a player of his stature and experience.
If there was a negative note for Arsenal, it was perhaps the performance of Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman could justifiably cite rustiness for his below-par display; this was, after all, his first appearance of pre-season. Nevertheless, it occasionally felt as if he was not quite on the same wavelength as his more celebrated team-mates.
It's unsurprising that stories linking Arsenal with a move for the more technically accomplished Karim Benzema, such as this piece by Matt Barlow of MailOnline, refuse to go away altogether.
It's speculation that Giroud did not want to talk about in a post-game press conference.
"I'm not honouring this question," Giroud said. "I'm trying to focus on my pre-season preparations. We are doing well together with a really good [cohesion], and the most important for me is that the team is always improving. If there is a new striker, it will be nice for all the team, because competition is good for everyone."
For the most part, this was a good day for Arsenal. Their pre-season has had a strong and successful start. Now, it's essential they use that to generate momentum at the outset of the competitive campaign.
Up next is the Emirates Cup on home soil, which Wenger will look to use to put the finishing touches ahead of the Community Shield with Chelsea and then the Premier League curtain-raiser at home to West Ham.
James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitter here.
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